I remember us all playing Trivial Pursuit at home and my granddad was a member of a local quiz leagues. When I was old enough, I joined the Bolton leagues.
The old line of thought used to be that local government is the bush leagues.
I would have been about seven years old when the formative years of my competitive football education began. I was playing in the local leagues around Manchester, playing against lads from tough areas who had been taught they had to fight for everything.
I couldn't believe I was in the big leagues. I also knew that I have to work hard every single day to stay in the big leagues. One thing is getting to the big leagues; another thing is to stay.
The minor leagues were great. When you first sign, that is your big leagues.
Everybody in the minor leagues - if you're a player, an announcer, whatever - wants to be in the big leagues.
It was always a dream as a footballer to compete in the best leagues in the world and those leagues are here in Europe.
I played good ball in the minor leagues, and that's why they called me up to the major leagues.
I wanted to be in the big leagues, not stuck in the minor leagues.
Any time you're in the coaching business or managing in the minor leagues, when you see a player who has made it to the major leagues, you get a thrill out of that.
I went to college for a reason, and that was to skip the minor leagues. I spent a year in the minors and got my at-bats in, and then I felt like I was ready for the big leagues.
People used to say that I thought I was Gareth Bale, and that's not the case at all. I'm nowhere near that level. The guy has won so much - Leagues, Champions Leagues, scoring worldies in finals.
I always think the same: English players don't generally leave England, which is strange. But of course, the Premier League's got the reputation as one of best leagues going, and one of the most competitive leagues.
I found that part of it towards San Salvador extending from north to south five leagues, and the other side which we coasted along, ran from east to west more than ten leagues.
Pitching in the big leagues is a dream. Preparing to pitch in the big leagues is a nightmare!
Trivial Pursuit means that you've got nothing going on in your life. Trivial Pursuit is more than a board game. It is the way most people live. Their lives are trivial pursuits.
We've got two semi-professional leagues; we've got many other leagues, more coaching opportunities for youngsters. You never had that when I was younger. You had to go and join in with the boys - that helped me as a player, but I think girls feel more confident playing with other girls of the same age.